Method of draining ponds or wet lands



J. V. SMITH'. METHOD 0F DRAWING PoNns 0R WET LANDS.

APPLICATION'FILED N-OvV. l, l9I-B.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

ATENT OFFICE.

JACOB V. SMITH, O F MASON CITY, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF DRAINING FONDS OR WET I'ANDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application led November 1, 1918. Serial No. 260.667.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JACOB V. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mason City, in the county of Mason and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Draining Pondsor IVet Lands, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to a method of draining ponds and low lands fromwater accumulation thereon.

With my method I sink one or a number of pipes a determined depth in theplace to be drained, thereafter insert in said pipe or pipes a quantityof explosive, such as dynamite, explode the latter so as to form apocket at the end of the tube or tubes, the earth disturbed by theexplosion forming the pocket opening the veins in the earth, so that thewater flowing through the tube into the pocket will be drained in theearth. After the pocket has been drained the tube or tubes have insertedtherein small rock or stone which partly fills the tubes and whollyfills the pocket, and upon the top of such rock or stone I insert afiller of gravel. and thereafter I may dig a basin around the mouth ofthe tube and fill this with rock or stone to hold the tube firm as wellas to serve as a basin to prevent the entrance of sediment through theneck of the tube.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a tube driven into the earth in a low land or pond to bedrained;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing conditionskwhen a small quantitv ofdynamite or other explosive has been exploded in the bottom of the tube;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing conditions when a larger amount ofdynamite has been exploded in the pocket formed by the first charge ofexplosive;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the pocket and tube filled; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing a trough dug around the mouthV of the tube andfilled to provide a support for the'mouth of the tube and a sedimentbasin for the said mouth of the tube.

As disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings, I

sink a pipe or tube 5 of any desired length in the ground. Through thetube I insert first a small quantity of dynamite or other` explosive,which when exploded forms at the lower end of the tube a comparativelysmall pocket 6. Thereafter I insert through filler of comparativelylarge stone or broken rock 8 and upon the top of this a filler of gravel9. These fillers permit of any additional accumulation of water findingan outlet through the pores of the earth at the pocket 7. In order toprovide a sediment basin or drainage as well as to support the outer endor mouth of the tube, I dig therearound a trough and fill the same withbroken rock as indicated by the numeral 10 in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

My improved method will be found especially desirable in reclaimingwater covered lands. Vhile I have described the explosive as dynamite,it is, of course, to be understood that I am not to be restricted to anyparticular class of such explosives. Also, in lieu of ordinary metallicpipes or tubes, other hollow elements may be employed which may beformed of material other than metal.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. The method of draining ponds and low lands by first forcing a pipe ortube through the lowest part of the surface to be drained, to arrangethe outer end of the said pipe flush with the ground surface, thereafterinserting an explosive charge through the tube and exploding the same toprovide a pocket at the lower end of the tube and to disrupt the surfaceof the ground'below said tube to open the pores thereof, and thereafterto insert and explode an additionalcharge to further disrupt and enlargethe pocket formed by the first explosion, and thereafter to insert insaid tube and pocket a filler of broken stone or rock and gravel.

2. The method of draining ponds and low lands by first forcing a pipe ortube through the lowest part of the surface to be drained, to arrangethe outer end of the said pipe flush with the ground surface, thereafterinserting an explosive charge through the tube and exploding the same toprovide a pocket at the lower end of the tube and to disrupt the surfaceof the ground below said tube to open the pores thereof, thereafter toinsert and explode an additional charge to further disrupt and enlargethe pocket formed by the irst explosion,r thereafter to insert in saidtube and pocket a filler of broken stone or rock and gravel, undthereafter dig a trench around the mouth of the tube and fill the SameWith loose rock to provide a supportfor the mouth of the tube and a l0sediment basin for the tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAooB V. SMITH.

